Husband-wife team lead Butch's Dry Dock restaurant in downtown Holland

Tuesday

Feb 11, 2014 at 7:00 AM

By Brian.VanOchten@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4279

The list of requirements Austin Gresham had for accepting the job as executive chef at Butch’s Dry Dock in downtown Holland included just one non-negotiable item: His wife, Traci, had to be part of the deal.It’s a sweetheart of a request owner Butch TerHaar felt he simply couldn’t refuse.Terhaar recalls being so impressed with Austin’s culinary skills and kitchen leadership and Traci’s expertise with staff, he didn’t hesitate putting the husband-and-wife team in charge of his operation. It seemed like a perfect marriage between the front and back of the house.“There’s a lot that stood out,” TerHaar said of the Greshams during the interview process. “I was looking for somebody who’d be a good fit for this business and a good fit for Holland.”It’s a workplace union that helps make every day seem like Valentine’s Day for the couple.Although most spouses delight in going their separate ways during working hours, the Greshams can’t resist spending as much time together as possible — on or off the job.“Oh, yeah, we wouldn’t have it any other way,” Austin said matter-of-factly. “I remember we came in for the interview and I told Butch we were both part of a package deal.“We just really like to work together. As we grow (as a couple), we like to be apart less and less.”It was love at first sight for Austin, a Houston native, while working at an Alexandria, Va., fine-dining establishment where his identical twin brother, Alex, was executive chef. He couldn’t help but notice Traci whenever she passed in front of him.“I was meat chef and my station was right across from this big bay window,” he recalled. “Traci was a hostess and she’d pass back and forth in front of that window. I noticed her the very first time. All it took was once for me.”The couple, married 3˝ years, has been a package deal in the workplace since.Austin, 29, and Traci, 27, left a prominent Chicago restaurant company to move to Butch’s Dry Dock, 44 E. Eighth St., after visiting Traci’s brother in Holland.Austin had been sous chef at Sixteen at Trump Tower, helping the Chicago establishment achieve AAA five-diamond and Mobile five-star and status and two Michelin stars. He also served as chef de partie while Traci was part of the staff at Alinea, a prominent Michelin three-star Chicago restaurant.The Greshams, who started Sept. 11 at Butch’s, remain inseparable at work and at home. They go to work together at the same time and go home together at the end of the night.Upon returning home, Austin, a self-taught chef, still does almost all of the cooking.“I don’t do a lot of cooking because he’s such a talented chef. I let the man who’s a master at cooking cook for me; I just clean up,” Traci said. “When my family met him, they said, “We’ve never seen anybody as passionate about what he does.’ He even cooked for our wedding.”Traci, who grew up in Bronson, admits the couple has occasional disagreements in the workplace. It never takes long, however, to resolve their issues.“I recall one or two times — if maybe I was really blunt in my opinion about something,” she said. “I think Austin’s really good at hearing my opinion and working on (refining) the dish. I think we’ve grown a lot professionally in the last year. We think and talk about restaurants all the time.“I can cut to the chase. I can give him honest feedback. We’ve learned to trust each other’s experience.”Austin relies on Traci’s sophisticated palette and interaction with diners.He pointed to a minor dispute they had about a dessert item for the upcoming Valentine’s Day menu at Butch’s. Austin put tapioca pearls flavored with tonka beans at the bottom of a milk-chocolate mousse, but Traci didn’t care for the texture.“A year ago, my feelings would’ve been hurt because this is what I do,” Austin said. “We don’t really have disagreements at work. If we do, we save it for home, but it has never been a problem there.”Traci had TerHaar and a few others taste the mousse before issuing her final opinion about the dish.“I did have a slight problem with the texture,” she said, “except I ate the whole thing!”In the end, there’s no one else Austin trusts more than Traci to offer suggestions about his cooking.“It’s a fresh set of eyes. I think it’s a great fit for both of us here. It’s the most intertwined we’ve ever been as a couple,” he said.The affection they feel for each other comes straight from the heart, Traci insisted.“We’ve worked in restaurants since we met,” she said. “I think Butch is pretty happy about the package deal.”— Follow this reporter on Twitter @BizHolland